Accentuating the postive...

Accentuating the positive....

There is an article on the New York Times service, "accentuating the positive, at least when we write" by John Tierney...

It, basically, talked about writers looking for good even in the worst of situations...they manage to find something heart warming In the tragedies that are perpetually around us...

" this relentless cheeriness even on bad-news days, suggest to some researchers that the positivity bias isn't merely a consequence of more good things to talk about. It can also help us cope with the bad stuff."

We want good to come out of tragedy...we search for it ....we yearn for it...we want to learn from it, not to repeat bad times ....

We want positiveness...not tragedy all the time...we desire peace, goodness, kindness, trustworthiness, integrity....honor...

There is a place in our souls that yearns to be filled with God...who is all the positiveness available...and He is more than willingly to fill it when we turn to Him, laying down the sins of our lives, asking for forgiveness...

Thank YOU that You are the very Positive of all...You help us through the  bad times, adding your goodness to us...teaching us ....loving us...redeeming us..

  Nehemiah 9:31-33a But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. “Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes—the hardship that has come upon us..........In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully.....

Psalm 27:13 I remain confident of this:I will see the goodness of the Lordin the land of the living. 

Ephesians 5:9 for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth ....

2 Peter 1:5-8 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Romans 15:4-6 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Stuck....

stuck.....

We are in a chapter about being stuck in one place in grief...I found this article about being stuck in the mud and tips on how to get out ....it seemed appropriate for this particular topic...and these definitions really pictured the "stuckness" as well...and the freedom of being unstuck from the bonds of grief and moving forward in body, mind and soul...in God's strength...

 

 

adjective

Definition of STUCK

firmly positioned in place and difficult to dislodge  <the car was hopelessly stuck in the mud>

Synonyms fast, firm, frozen, jammed, lodged, set, snug, stuck, wedged

Related Words bonded, cemented, glued; anchored, clamped; embedded(also imbedded), entrenched (also intrenched), impacted, implanted; attached, bound, fastened, secured; immovable, unyielding

Near Antonyms detached, dislodged, freed, loosened, unattached, unbound, undone, unfastened, unsecured; movable (or moveable), yielding...

 

• "Keep the wheels straight."  Keep on track..know that you can move forward.....
• "If your car's transmission has a Winter mode, use it to limit wheel spin.".....get the right advice, seek counseling if needed....
• "Try shoveling a path."   God has a plan and path for each of us to follow...we need to seek it and follow....
• "Use a light touch on the throttle and try not to spin the wheels. In mud or sand, spinning them will only dig you in deeper. If there's pavement beneath snow, spinning the wheels may eventually wear through to it. But you'll have to turn off the traction control, if your car has it, to spin the wheels.".... Getting out of the rut, think on theses things...."Philippians 4:8-9 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Find a way to stop spinning in one place by spending time with God...
• "Traction mats, snow chains, and fabric tire wraps can help you get unstuck. Sand or cat litter spread on snow or ice can aid traction. Use your floor mats or trunk liner in a pinch."   Use God's tool, His Word, Christian music, Christian books to help you dwell on other things beside the grief....
• "You might need to jack up the car to put a traction aid under the drive wheels, but make sure the jack is on firm ground. If it's not, place a plank or something flat and solid beneath it". Find God's firm ground...he is the solid rock on which we can stand...
• 1 Samuel 2:2 “There is no one holy like the Lord;there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 
• Psalm 18:2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 
• Psalm 31:3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 
• Isaiah 26:4 Trust in the Lord forever,for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. 

Thank YOU for graphic pictures and words to help us along the path of life, whether in grief or day to day living...YOU are the ultimate healer and mover, help me to be comforted by your Word, Yourself in getting out of those places where I may be  stuck, bound.....

 

Ben's eyes....

Ben's eyes....

Part of my life includes a small dog...he is a rescue dog, who must have been loved. He came trained, loves people, loves to play with other animals, loves to go for walks and thinks anyone who walks through my door has come to see him....

Whatever room I am in, he must be there as well...he doesn't like to stay outside without me. In my house, the kitchen, dining area and living room are all one big open room, with the kitchen at one end and the living area at the opposite end...so when I am in the kitchen, my dog lays at the other end facing me, his eyes always on me...I am rarely out of his sight..

He is more calm that way, knowing where I am...if I am at the computer, he is right beside me on the floor or in an extra chair next to me.....if I am sewing in another room, he lays on the bed next to the sewing area,..he even follows me into the bathroom or shower area.....watching....waiting...there is no activity that excludes his watchful eyes in my home....

He gives me space, but always wants to be included in that space....

I was contemplating this behavior on the "whys" of it...he just likes to be there...all the time...he would love to go with me wherever I go and sometimes does...

God watches me as well...He never leaves....He is always there, no matter what I do, where I am, ....He even knows my thoughts...the words I say,....there is no place that I can hide from him...he knows when I stand or sit...He loves me...His watchfulness is eternal...never ceasing...and His purpose is eternal...truthful...

Thank YOU, for always being with me wherever I go, whatever I do, softly guiding me, listening to me, speaking to me....

Psalm 34:15 Psalm 33:18 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; 

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 

Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. 

Psalm 139:2-4, 6-12, 15, 17 You know when I sit and when I rise;you perceive my thoughts from afar. 

You discern my going out and my lying down;you are familiar with all my ways. 

Before a word is on my tongueyou, Lord, know it completely. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,too lofty for me to attain. 

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there;if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me,your right hand will hold me fast. 

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide meand the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you;the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 

My frame was not hidden from youwhen I was made in the secret place,when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 

Big and little problems....

Big and little problems...

If you take a jar, full of rice and walnuts, dump it out, add only the rice back in, then the walnuts...most likely the walnuts will not fit back in...but if you put the walnuts in first and then the rice, it will all fit back in...

If we take all of life's minor inconveniences and only think about them, we have not room to really consider the main issues..but if we are able to take care of the major things, the minor ones will usually take care of themselves..

Or if we as  Christians major on the minor doctrinal differences, we loose sight the the major similarities...

Little versus big....urgent versus important ....David versus Goliath .....or how we all fit together when our priorities are right....

As a wife, there were times, I let little irritations dominate my life, instead of looking at the whole of marriage...who really cares in eternity how or if I out my toothpaste on my toothbrush a certain way...or does the toilet paper roll off the top or bottom....or whether all the lights are on or off...or if the house was cluttered when company arrived....

The more important was that I even brushed my teeth, that we even had Indoor plumbing, that we even had electricity, that we welcomed whomever came into our home with grace and hospitality, local or international...

Thank YOU, that You Have lessons for us in the big and little things of life...help me to discern what is important and what are side issues...help me not to sweat the small stuff of life....but look to You for help in all...and have the right perspective ....YOU are the most important .....

1 Samuel 17

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 

Held...and other songs....

Held....and other songs .....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3W1CEppIPQk

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XQan9L3yXjc

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z3wwWFsSlNQ

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BRPGRdbGHSs

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YhQCrZMI0-g

There are times when only music speaks to my soul, through the words and melodies of saints long gone or current ones whose lives and words touch me deeply...

Songs are recorded throughout the Bible for different reasons, victory, history, 

Deep emotions....they stick in our minds with their poignant words and melodies  and even lessons to lear and remember....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sza4rh1YzsM

Holy, holy, holy on YouTube ....many versions

Psalm 42:8 By day the Lord directs his love,at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life. 

Deuteronomy 31:22-23, 30 Deuteronomy 32:44-45 So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites. The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.” And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel: Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, 

Job 35:10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,who gives songs in the night, .....

Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place;you will protect me from troubleand surround me with songs of deliverance. 

Ephesians 5:19-20 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Colossians 3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 

Thank YOU for songs that touch deeply....

Sorry about any advertising ...some I just could not get out .....

Angels walking....

Angels walking.....

I just finished a fictional book by Karen Kingsbury, "Angels Walking"...my message from the  book was that our calling is to be real rather than rely on our job as our identity ......

Then at church the pastor spoke on the same theme, our calling is to serve God first....not relying on our identity from which we work.....we need to realize who we are in Christ...

So many of us tend to look at what we do, our jobs, our vocations to really define us rather than the Person of Christ...do others know me as a Christian first above the other things I do ?  Or am I just known as a person that does not portray Christ?....could my testimony as a Christian stand up in a court??

Whoa...or was my husband known as a giver or geologist first??  At his memorial services, he was known as a giver, and even that idea was exemplified at a honor dinner for our alma mater...much to his surprise.....

Our jobs, our impact on the world, our calling  are all wrapped up in a package it seems, but the standout is whom we serve and whose we are...

Thank YOU helping us define whose we are and whom we serve...Help me to have it in order...that I am a Christian first....

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 

Hebrews 13:1-5 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,“Never will I leave you;never will I forsake you.” 

1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 12, 18 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 

But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 

Antiques....

Antique stores...

I recently visited an antique store in the hopes of finding an item...I followed that with checking out the local Goodwill store as well...neither they or the huge department store had the item I wanted....so had to search it out online...

Going to an antique store is like going back in time....to my grandparents homes...things that they used on a daily basis are treasures bought and sold by a new generation now...things I took for granted as well as my grandparents...the antiques were just part of their kitchens, garages, closets or whatever... At the time I didn't look at the items as anything special, they just were there...now I see these things and remember cooking with my Grandmothers, watching my grandfathers work...

The weird thing is, that my grandchildren will someday think the same thing of my stuff....what will they sell at their garage sale or donate to Goodwill after I have passed away? What will they say if they, too, visit an antique store or thrift store?  "Oh, I remember grandma/grandpa having something like this".

Will it bring back good memories?  I hope so...that is the most valuable item..., not even the item itself, but the memories...

I have a friend who makes quilts for all of her grandchildren with their help in choosing the fabrics and sewing ...she is leaving a wonderful legacy with each one, not only the quilt itself but the time spent....or another reads stories and does crafts with her grandchildren...reading Bible stories, going to church or another who assembles tea parties  with her granddaughters frequently...another who travels to new lands and sites with her grandchildren ....another who paints with her grandchildren, or a grandfather who rides horses taking his grandchildren riding, or as my husband did, teaching his grandchildren how to pan gold, or yet another trims trees, cuts firewood, driving an old beat up tractor or pickup , or goes fishing......the list goes on....these are the "antiques" that will last in The hearts and minds of their grandchildren...the most valuable ones....the items they used just are associated with the activities and people......Antiques....a part of life, generation to generation....

Thank YOU for the "antiques" in my life...the times past, the utensils used, the memories  made....Yourself...never ending, never getting old, always there  for each generation to discover and reverence...as well as dwell in and with...You never get old....

 Lamentations 3:23, 25-26 They are new every morning;great is your faithfulness. 

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,

to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietlyfor the salvation of the Lord. 

Psalm 90:2, 16 Before the mountains were bornor you brought forth the whole world,from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 

May your deeds be shown to your servants,your splendor to their children. 

Forgive .....

Forgive....

The question was asked, "whom do you struggle to forgive and why?"...

My immediate response was, "why, I don't have any problem with forgiveness,  the idea that you would ask!"...

Then that still small voice resounded in my heart of hearts...."there is an area that is closed off and it gets examined once in awhile, but not really dealt with..."  And so maybe it is time to reexamine it...

"Oh, that deep sigh comes out". "Do I really need to go there again?"

"YES!"

Colossians 3:13-17 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. 

There is an area that I struggle with forgiveness.  I have to deal with it many times... Even though it is not visible to anyone else...it is there, staring me in the face...I have to hand it over time and time again...yielding it to the Father to take care of....I don't want to have it hanging over my head continually but it does...

Then I wonder, what am I doing that is the same thing to my Father that keeps cropping up again and again in my life...what am I doing that closes the lines of forgiveness ....and it is THAT unforgiveness on my part ....

There are so many times in my life that there are small minuscule pictures of what may be portrayals of the infinite picture of God...He deals with us as we deal with others...only His has the added infinite wisdom and caring and knowing factor....

Forgive, forgive , forgive...so that the lines of forgiveness to me are opened...

Let it go, let Him deal with my heart and those others...don't hide it there festering...it is only hurting me....and I really don't want the bitterness and anger to be the outcome ...as it can be for harboring unforgiveness .....

Griefshare on forgiveness:

"Forgiveness doesn't mean you condone what the person did or that you trust the person.

Forgiveness is about getting your heart right with God. It is foremost about your relationship with God.

It frees you from a lifetime of bondage to a bitter and hardened heart.

Forgiveness isn't a one time act. You will have to continue to choose forgiveness.

We forgive because God has forgiven us.

Forgiveness doesn't mean you are letting that person off the hook. It is entrusting God to take care of the situation for you.

Forgiveness isn't reconciliation. Reconciliation requires genuine repentance on the part of the person who is wrong ..."

Thank YOU for continuing to show me this area...Only you can solve the problem...help me understand how much You have forgiven me...Help me lay this in your loving hands to take care of...

 

Nose tricks and others ......

Nose tricks....and others...

As our children were growing up, there were games we played with each one them...the missing nose trick, the bouncing on the foot ride...these extended to our grandchildren when they were small as well...

Each parent had their own set of things to do with the kids, as well as each grandparent did different things...my dad and my husband's dad took the grandkids to the forest to check out the trees...the grandmothers would wash dishes, cook, paint, play the piano as well as read stories....the grandchildren fished in the stocked pond...trimmed trees, learned to drive tractors and cats and even logged on occasion...or just sit on their laps when they were younger ....

When was growing up, I spent time with both sets of grandparents..I had each into adulthood, which was a blessing...I got to ride horses, feed cattle, pick raspberries, hoe weeds, play in attics, play in creeks, slide down dry grass hills on cardboard, make doll clothes and even my own clothes on a treadle sewing machine, .....memories of days gone by...

So what am I placing into my grandchildren's hearts and minds???? What will they remember of their grandparents ? I know some things I want them to remember...

-the joy of giving

-hugs are welcome

-they are special and loved

-each one is a gift and each one is gifted

-their walk with God is important

-I love them

-God loves them, even through loss

Thank YOU for grandparents...having great ones and being one.....the memories of times past, games played, lessons learned, hugs given and received, life shared, God shared...

Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. 

http://www.coolestone.com/media/11714/Girl-Is-Really-Proud-Of-Dad039;s-Nose-Trick/#.VOcz44g76K0

The "if onlys".....

The "in onlys"....

When my father came to stay with me two years ago, my goal was to get him well, and we would have a great time together...do some traveling, visiting as we had in the past...my expectations were high ....just get him well, healthy, thinking clearly, thinking positively as he was known for, whistling again, gain some weight, eat healthy, walking again, happy...get him back on track....

Such naïveté .....all he was ready for was to float away and die....he was ready for his heavenly home ..and I didn't recognize it or maybe I didn't want to recognize it...I wanted this one last parent to live...we had already lost my mother   and my husband.....I wanted life...not another death...I wasn't ready to let him go...

And within six weeks, he got his wish and I was still not ready...my expectations were so different  than his...I had only to reread the tasks and the processes of dying...we had read them when my husband was dying...but but I blocked them out as I still wanted what I wanted....I didn't want to let go until the very end...

There are so many "if onlys" in life and death...things we usually have no control over...being at the wrong place at the wrong time, being exposed to something "accidentally",  making a last minute decision, a multitude of events...which we can't redo...there are not many "do-overs" in life...

There are some readjustments, or realignments ...or renewed focus, and there is always forgiveness ....if need be....

And I tend to over-think some things, over planning, trying to get it just right...when all God  wants is setting my mind on Him and he will take care of it....letting Him have to plans, the "if onlys", my hearing heart...and open mind..He makes the ultimate decisions.....

Thank YOU for Your timing, you plans in my life....help me be open to changes, directions,....opening my hands to receive from You....Your perfect will...

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. 

Proverbs 16:9 In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. 

Ecclesiastes 11:8aHowever many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all.....

Ecclesiastes 7:2b ....for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. 

Ecclesiastes 3:2a a time to be born and a time to die,.....

http://dying.about.com/od/thedyingprocess/a/process.htm

http://dying.about.com/od/thedyingprocess/a/5_tasks_dying.htm

Woodpecker and flickers.....

Woodpeckers and flickers....

The woodpeckers and flickers are back again..every spring they come and try to peck a hole into the siding of my home...inevitably giving up after several days of futile pecking...the siding looks like wood but it is a composition that is really hard.  Their constant pecking doesn't even leave a dent....so off they go to the trees nearby....they still come for the food in the feeders even though they have failed in the house pecking pursuit...

The Bible speaks of hardened hearts in many places..just as the siding of my house doesn't let the birds penetrate its surface....these hearts are not penetrated by His Word..or the rebelliousness hardens their hearts, lives....

Everyday the birds pecked away, I asked myself, "am I hardening my heart towards anything that God is trying teach me?", "am I listening", "am I softening?"... Those examination questions....I don't want to be hardened  toward God...I want my face to shine as in Ecclesiastics...

Thank YOU again for speaking even through a bird's futile pecking...You are wisdom, You choose the hardening and softening...help me listen to your directions, words...not seeking a rebellious nature....

Exodus 7:13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. 

Daniel 5:20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 

Romans 9:18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 

Hebrews 3:13, 15 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 

As has just been said:“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” 

1 Kings 10:3, 6, 9 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. 

She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 

Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.” 

Ecclesiastes 7:29-8:1New International Version (NIV)

29 This only have I found:
    God created mankind upright,
    but they have gone in search of many schemes.”

8 Who is like the wise?
    Who knows the explanation of things?
A person’s wisdom brightens their face
    and changes its hard appearance..

Having trouble viewing this email? Click Here The Benefits Of Wisdom A daily devotion for February 17th From your friends at RayStedman.org Read: Ecclesiastes 7:29-8:1 Who is like the wise man? Who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance (Ecclesiastes 8:1). There is a marvelous, fourfold description of what happens to one who discovers the true wisdom of righteousness as a gift from God, one who walks with God in the fear of God. First, it will make that person a unique human being. Who is like the wise man? One of the follies of life is to try to imitate somebody else. The media constantly bombards us with subtle invitations to look like, dress, or talk like some popular idol. If you succeed in that, of course, you will be nothing but a cheap imitation of another person. The glory of the good news is that when you become a new creature in Jesus Christ, you will be unique. You will become more and more like Christ, but unlike everyone else in personality. You will not be a copy, a cheap imitation, but an original from the Spirit of God. Secondly, the Searcher says, godly wisdom will give you a secret knowledge: Who knows the explanation of things? The implication of that question is that the wise person knows. This is what Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 2: The spiritual man makes judgments about all things (1 Corinthians 2:15a). Spiritual people are in a position to pass moral judgment on the value of everything, not because they are so smart, but because the God who teaches them is wise. Thirdly, such a person will experience a visible joy: Wisdom brightens a man's face. Grace—not grease—is what makes the face shine. Manufacturers put grease in cosmetics to make the face shine artificially, but it is grace that does it from within. Grace and the joy that results from it visibly expressed make a face shine. Finally, it changes the inner disposition of a person: [Wisdom] changes its hard appearance. Have you ever watched somebody whose life was under the impact of the Spirit of God soften, mellow, and grow easier to live with? That is the work of the Spirit of God. All of us have sung the hymns of John Newton. One in particular is a favorite of many: Amazing grace! How sweet the sound—that saved a wretch like me! That is John Newton's story. He was raised by a godly mother who prayed for him all his life. As soon as he came of age, he joined the slave trade, running slaves from Africa to England. He fell into wild, riotous living, involving himself in drunken brawls. He ended up at last, as he himself confesses, a slave of slaves, actually serving some of the escaped slaves on the African coast, wretched, miserable, and hardly even alive. Then he found voyage on a ship back to England. In the midst of a terrible storm in the Atlantic, when he feared for his life, he was converted; he remembered his mother's prayers, and he came to Christ. He became one of the great Christians of England, author of many hymns that set forth the joy, the radiance, the gladness of his life as he found it in Jesus Christ. Here the Searcher has clearly declared what he emphasizes throughout the whole book of Ecclesiastes: that it is the man or woman who finds the living God who discovers the answer to the riddles of life. Father, thank You that when You came into my life, You granted me wisdom from above. Teach me to listen and live by the wisdom You give through Your Word. Life Application Media bombardment encourages us to always imitate and copy somebody else, but God made us individually unique. Have we discovered the benefits of godly wisdom? Related Message For more on this portion of Scripture read the message: Whoever said Life was Fair? or listen to the audio by clicking: Listen to Ray Previous Devotions for February Next Want to Subscribe? Subscribe / Unsubscribe to this Daily Devotion by Email Copyright © 2014 Ray Stedman Ministries — This daily devotion is from the book The Power of His Presence: a year of devotions from the writings of Ray Stedman, compiled by Mark Mitchell. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice and a hyperlink to RayStedman.org if the copy is posted on the Internet.